Innocence is the Key
by Allen the Musician
Summary: When Edward Elric is tossed into a strange new world he is desperate to find a way back home. Unfortunately alchemy doesn't seem to work but when he meets a boy with strange powers, the answer may be closer than either of them thought. FMA/DGM crossover.
1. Strange Youths

Disclaimer - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or D Gray Man

A/N - this is a requested story, written for CantThinkofAPenName1. It is dedicated to the one who requested it and it's AU since there is absolutely no possible way to make a crossover canon. And the timeline for FMA is altered so that it will fit in with DGM.

Chapter One - Unusual Youths

This new world that Ed found himself trapped in was definitely a lot different than the world from which he was from. But this was something that he was just going to have to learn to deal with since he was trapped here.

At least for now.

The golden haired youth hadn't given up on returning to the world where he belonged but it had became obvious to him that it was going to take a lot more work than he had previously anticipated.

Which, of course, irritated the boy to no end. "I can't believe that I'm stuck here," he muttered angrily to himself as he made his way down the street in a small town.

He needed to find some work, since he had no money to live on, but that wasn't really high up on his list of priorities. What he really wanted to do was find a way to make alchemy work in this world so that he could summon that damnable Gate and go home.

Alchemy.

The fact that alchemy didn't seem to exist in this world was turning into the very bain of his existence. He needed alchemy to return home so, of course, that was the one thing that he couldn't do.

"This is so stupid!" he screamed out to he heavens, gaining himself some very weird looks from the people who were walking along the sidewalk.

Having received strange looks for most of his life Ed didn't pay any attention. It didn't really matter much to him if the people in this town thought that he was insane. So long as they didn't try to commit him to an institution or anything, he was perfectly okay with that.

This thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of something exploding. Tuned to the sound of destruction due to his days in the Amestris State Military, Ed's gaze automatically shifted in the direction the noise was coming from.

A bright flash of light could be seen over a grove of trees and, without thinking of exactly what he would do when he got there, Ed rushed toward the sight of the explosion. Perhaps it was instinct or maybe something else.

Maybe it was fate.

Within minutes Ed arrived on the scene and the sight that met his searching gaze was something that he had never seen. Two teenagers, one a white haired boy and the other a girl with pig-tails, were fighting against…

Ed couldn't even identify their opponents, having never seen creatures like this. They looked vaguely like machines and yet they could speak and seemed to have a consciousness of their own.

"Strange…" he muttered as he watched the two youths fight.

"Look," one of the Akuma snarled, shifting it's attention to the new arrival. A wicked smile spread across the creature's face. "That little boy looks easy to kill. I think I'll take him out and then return to the Exorcists."

Ed's eyes narrowed as he heard the creature's words and realized who the thing was talking to. "Who are you calling so little that you need a microscope to see?!"

Completely ignoring the boy's rant the Akuma flew toward him, claws out and eyes gleaming with the intent to kill.

"Look out!" Leaving the other two Akuma to Lenalee, Allen launched himself forward. He managed to push the strange boy aside before the Akuma could kill him and, turning back to the creature, he said, "Bring forth salvation to this tormented Akuma's soul."

And with these words Allen used his claws to slash through the Akuma. It exploded and Allen immediately went to rejoin Lenalee, who had managed to kill one of the remaining Akuma.

The two Exorcists glanced briefly at one another before simultaneously attacking the Akuma. Mere minutes later the sky was lit up by yet another explosion, smoke swirling around the two youths.

"What the hell were those things?" Ed asked, taking a couple of steps toward the teenagers.

"Those were Akuma," the boy with the white hair replied in a voice that was both polite and distant at the same time.

Ed's eyes widened as he took in this strange youth's appearance for the first time. There was a vicious scar that ran almost the entire length of the left side of his face. And there was also his left arm, which had been some kind of huge claw thing but had no reverted back to what appeared to be a normal arm.

Allen could tell that the blond haired boy was staring at his arm but he was used to this by now. Besides, when his Innocence was activated, it really did make his left arm look strange.

"It's called Innocence," Allen said, his gray eyed gaze focused on the boy. "And it's the only substance that can destroy Akuma. My name is Allen Walker and this is Lenalee Lee. We're Exorcists."

"Exorcists?" Ed repeated, the wheels in his mind traveling a mile a minute. This was definitely something that he needed to look into further. Then, as a sort of after thought, he said, "My name's Edward Elric."

"We're really glad to meet you," the girl named Lenalee said, offering Ed a smile.

"So are there many more of those things running around?" Ed asked, his gaze returning to the smoldering ashes that had once been Akuma.

Allen nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Akuma are born from the sadness and desperation of humans and their numbers are vast."

"And the only way to fight them is with… Innocence?"

Lenalee nodded. "And only a handful of people are compatible with Innocence."

Ed was growing more interested in this concept by the minute. It seemed that this Innocence stuff was really rare and incredibly powerful.

Perhaps it could be useful in his search for a way to get back to his home.

It was worth looking into at any rate.

"Well we should probably be going," Allen said, turning his attention to Lenalee. "We have an assignment to complete."

"Right," Lenalee said, nodding her head in Allen's direction.

Preparing to depart Allen turned his attention back to the boy named Edward. "Should you see any more Akuma, then get as far away from them as possible. If you get hit with the bullets they fire then you'll die. They contain a toxic poison that is always fatal."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ed said, already planning to follow the two Exorcists. He needed to do a little research on this substance called Innocence and what better way to do it than to follow two wielders of the strange power?

But he had the feeling that they wouldn't really welcome his company so he had to be careful not to let them find out that they were being followed.

But this wouldn't be the first time that Ed had ever followed someone who didn't want to be followed and their was no doubt in his mind that he could do it.

"I just have to be smart about this," Ed thought to himself as Allen and Lenalee bid him farewell and continued on their journey.

A/N - Here's the first chapter of this strange crossover, a request from CantThinkofAPenName1. Hope that you all enjoyed, please be kind and leave a review on your way out.


	2. Hope

Disclaimer - I do not own FMA or DGM

Chapter Two - Hope

After meeting the strange blond youth Allen and Lenalee continued on their mission to retrieve the Innocence that had been located in the area. The battle with the Akuma had been an unwanted distraction and the two Exorcists wanted to make sure that they retrieved the Innocence before someone on the side of the Earl beat them to it.

"So that boy was kinda weird huh Allen?" Lenalee commented as she and her companion traveled along the path.

"They're was something odd about him," Allen said, a thoughtful expression in his stormy gray eyes. He'd gotten the same impression of the blond boy but hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly what was off about him.

"And he had more of a height complex than you," Lenalee said, a smile appearing on her face. "You should feel good Allen, you finally managed to find someone shorter than you."

"Hey…" Allen began however his words were interrupted by a shout from a nearby grove of trees.

Both Exorcists shifted their gazes toward the sound and watched, in shock, as the blond haired boy raced toward them. There was an irate look in his golden eyes and the two Exorcists were briefly reminded of the Noah.

Unconsciously they each took a step back.

"Who are you calling a bean-sprout, half-pint midget!"

"Um…" Lenalee said, holding up her hands in an attempt to calm the boy. "I didn't go that far."

It took a couple of minutes but Ed finally calmed down and then, much to his horror, he realized that he had screwed up. His plan had been to follow them without their knowledge but now that plan was pretty much out the window.

So it was on to Plan B.

"So what exactly is going on?" Allen asked, his gray eyed gaze focused on the blond boy. "Why were you following us?"

Ed briefly thought about denying the fact that he had been following them but then he changed his mind. "I was curious about those Akuma and this Innocence that you spoke of."

"You should turn back before you get hurt," Allen said, knowing that it wasn't a good idea for Ed to become involved with either the Akuma or Innocence.

"I'm not turning back," Ed said, his eyes snapping fire as he glared at the taller boy. "I'll find out about both Akuma and Innocence with or without your help."

Allen gazed at the boy, completely exasperated. It was obvious by the look in his eyes that he wasn't going to take no for an answer and this served to make Allen's decision for him. He couldn't allow the boy to go poking around by himself.

The risk of death was just too high.

"Fine," Allen said with a sigh. "You can come with us on this search for Innocence."

Lenalee's eyes widened as she heard these words but after only a few seconds of thought she realized why Allen had made this decision. He was doing it in the hopes of keeping the other boy out of harms way.

Because at least if he traveled with them they could protect him from any Akuma that happened to attack.

"Right," Ed said, determined to find out as much as he possibly could about both the creatures called Akuma as well as this strange substance called Innocence.

Because, for one thing, the Akuma looked a great deal like chimera, even though Ed knew that alchemy didn't exist in this world. Then there was the Innocence, which seemed to provide people with strange powers that couldn't be explained. So he was interested in learning more about them and hopefully finding a way back to the world in which he belonged.

Because there had to be a way back.

Decision made the duo now turned trio continued to walk along, each lost in their own thoughts. For his part Ed couldn't keep his mind from wandering to the people back in Amestris that he desperately missed. Al and Winry… the two people that he wanted to see again with all of his heart.

"Um… are you alright Edward?" Lenalee asked, breaking into Ed's thoughts.

The blond haired youth shifted his gaze in her direction and saw a look of concern in her violet eyes. "Yea… Why wouldn't I be?"

Lenalee shrugged. "You just looked sad there for a minute. What were you thinking about?"

"Just thinking of my family," Ed replied, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice. He didn't want to tell them about his unfortunate circumstances because… well for the simple fact that they wouldn't believe him even if he did.

Honestly he had lived it and even he wasn't entirely certain that the whole thing hadn't been a dream.

"Oh." Lenalee decided not to further question their new companion. She had seen the trace of sadness that had appeared in his eyes a split second before he could banish it and that led her to believe that something had happened to the family that he was thinking of.

A steely look appeared in Ed's eyes as he walked along with the two Exorcists. His hope had been renewed somewhat after witnessing their battle and the youth was anxious to find out whether he could gather any new information that would help him in his quest to return home.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to everyone who submitted reviews to the first one, you guys are great.


	3. Search for Innocence

Disclaimer - I do not own FMA or DGM. Just having some fun.

Chapter Three - Search for Innocence

Once the two Exorcists had gained their slightly unwanted companion they continued on their way. Neither really wanted the other boy along but knew that they didn't have the time to take him to a safe location. Both Allen and Lenalee knew that they needed to find the Innocence before one of the Earl's henchmen did. And this knowledge served to speed up their steps.

Trailing behind the two Exorcists, Ed picked up on the fact that they seemed to be in more of a hurry now. "I wonder if anything changed…"

Ed shrugged at this point, not sure why the sudden change in pace. He supposed that the two Exorcists must have their reasons for it and decided to just go along with it. But all the while his thoughts were focused on how he could manage to find his way back to the world where he actually belonged.

How he could find his way back to Al.

Allen was leading the way toward the town where the Innocence was rumored to be residing but the white haired youth drew up suddenly. Stopping short Allen gazed around, as though searching for something that was just out of his line of sight.

"What is it Allen?" Lenalee asked, nearly bumping into her partner as he came to an unexpected halt.

The boy's left eye suddenly turned red and he muttered, "Akuma."

That one single word was enough to cause both Lenalee and Ed to put their guard up. The blond youth had seen enough the first time to know that the creatures known as Akuma weren't something that should be taken lightly. And, unfortunately, he wasn't able to fight against them.

At least not yet.

"I'll find a way," he thought to himself as he watched both Allen and Lenalee activate their Innocence. The power that was possessed by this substance called Innocence was undeniable and Ed knew that it was likely his best chance at finding a way back to the world to which he belonged. At the very least the blond boy was determined try everything in his power to make the situation work to his advantage.

The group of three was soon surrounded by a large number of Akuma. They hadn't even bothered with their human disguises and it was obvious that they were out for the blood of the Exorcists.

"Let's go Allen!" Lenalee called out as she leapt lightly into the air.

"Right!" The white haired youth held up his arm, which he had transformed into something resembling a large gun.

Ed watched intently as Allen and Lenalee dealt with the Akuma, his keen gaze taking in their moves. It was obvious, by their well honed moves, that they had a lot of experience dealing with the Akuma. It seemed to Ed that the two young Exorcists were similar to himself in that they were kids forced to fight in a war.

"Come on," Allen said once he and Lenalee had taken care of the Akuma. "We should hurry before someone else seizes the Innocence."

"Right," both Lenalee and Ed chorused.

Breaking into a run the three teenagers jogged the remaining distance to the town. Then, once they arrived, they took a couple of minutes to catch their breath before setting about scouring the town. There wasn't any signs of Akuma at the moment but the Exorcists knew that this could change at any given moment. And they wanted to make sure that they had the Innocence in their possession before any more of the Earl's henchmen showed up.

"So how do we know where this Innocence is hiding?" Ed asked as he followed along behind the two Exorcists.

"Strange occurrences are often triggered by Innocence," Allen replied, his gaze shifting about. Searching for signs of Innocence as well as Akuma.

"I see," Ed said, his own gaze shifting about their surroundings. "So you just look for anything that's out of the ordinary."

"That's right," Lenalee said. "Unfortunately the Akuma are searching for the same thing so we have to hurry. If they find the Innocence before we do then it will be destroyed."

"We can't let that happen," Allen said.

Ed agreed although he didn't say anything out loud. The blond youth was already thinking about the possibility that he could use the Innocence to return to his own world but didn't want to say anything about it. Not until he knew whether or not it was going to work.

And there was no way for him to know that for certain until they actually found the Innocence and he was able to get a good look at it. Which meant of course that he would have to beat not only the Akuma but also the Exorcists to it.

"Don't take it personally guys," the young alchemist thought as he gazed at Allen and Lenalee. "But I need to get home."

With this thought in mind Ed turned and dashed off. He would use the knowledge that he had gained about the Innocence, that it was surrounded by out of the ordinary occurrences, and hopefully find it first.

"Hey Edward!" Lenalee called out, noticing that the blond boy was running off. But Ed didn't pay any heed to her words and soon disappeared around a corner.

"Oh great," Allen muttered, running a hand through his white hair. "We should probably find him before he ends up getting himself killed."

Lenalee nodded.

A/N - Here's another chapter, sorry that it took so long for the update. Hope that you enjoyed!


	4. Joining Forces

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man nor Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Four - Joining Forces

"I can't believe that I allowed something like that to happen," Allen berated himself as he and Lenalee searched for Edward. Having quickly lost sight of their companion all they could do was follow the path that he had taken and hope for the best. The two Exorcists weren't exactly slow however they hadn't been expecting for the blond boy to take off and had been caught off guard as a result.

"You shouldn't blame yourself Allen," Lenalee said as she ran along beside him. "After all there's no way that you could have known that he was going to take off like that."

"I should have expected it," Allen maintained but had to pause in the conversation as his cursed eye suddenly activated. Signaling the presence of more Akuma nearby. The white haired youth gazed around for a couple of minutes, finally locating the group of Akuma.

"There!" he exclaimed, pointing in the direction where he saw the souls of the Akuma.

"Right," Lenalee said.

While finding Edward was important the two Exorcists knew that they couldn't simply ignore the fact that there was a large group of Akuma roaming around. Because the enemy was probably looking for the same thing that they themselves were.

The Innocence.

"Let's go Lenalee!" Allen said, activating his Innocence and running in the direction of the Akuma.

* * *

"Maybe I should have planned this out a little better," Ed thought to himself as he made his way through the town. After giving the two Exorcists the slip he had began his search for the Innocence but unfortunately it seemed that luck was not on his side.

Reaching up the blond youth absently rubbed at the back of his head, gazing around as he did so. "It would help if I knew exactly what I was looking for."

At this point an image of his brother appeared in the young man's mind's eye and he clenched his hands in determination. "I'm going to find a way to get back… no matter what it takes."

With his determination renewed Ed continued on his search, keeping an eye out for anything that seemed to be out of the ordinary. And, when he turned a corner and came face to face with yet more of the monstrous creatures from before, it seemed as though he had found it. "This is definitely out of the ordinary," he said in a slightly nervous tone of voice.

The Akuma seemed to be focusing their attention on a fountain that was located in the center of what appeared to be the town square. There was a statue of a man on a horse on top of the fountain and a faint green light seemed to be emanating from said statue.

"Is that…"

"Edward!"

The blond youth turned at the sound of the familiar voices and watched as Allen and Lenalee rushed forward. And, although Ed had ditched them in the hopes of finding the Innocence first, he couldn't deny the fact that he was happy to see them.

Because he had been at a loss as to how he was going to manage to fight off the Akuma.

Allen and Lenalee immediately began fighting with the Akuma, leaving Ed to watch the battle. The two Exorcists seemed to fight effortlessly and Ed was somewhat impressed by their skills. However this was all but forgotten as one of the Akuma crashed into the statue on the fountain, shattering it.

Ed's golden eyes locked onto a small green gem that fell to the ground and, rushing forward, he quickly picked it up. It was unlike anything that the young man had ever seen and he concluded that this must be the Innocence of which Allen had spoken.

"Give me that," a voice snarled.

Ed's gaze shifted to the owner of the voice, a creature that somewhat resembled a dragon. "Guess that pretty much confirms that this is the Innocence," Ed thought to himself as he shoved the little green gem into his pocket.

"I said give it!" the Akuma snarled, voice low and threatening.

Ed's gaze quickly shifted to Allen and Lenalee, immediately see that they were both otherwise occupied with Akuma of their own. "Damn," he muttered, his gaze going back to the dragon beast that was walking toward him. "Guess I'll have to fight."

Taking a deep breath Ed clasped his hands together, more out of habit than the actual expectation that something was going to happen. However, much to his shock and amazement, green sparks surrounded him and his auto-mail arm transformed into the familiar blade.

"What… just happened?" Ed questioned, gazing at his arm.

This thought had to be placed on hold however as the dragon beast lunged toward him. Ed blocked the attack from the creature and then struck out, grazing it with his blade. The creature roared in pain and anger and intensified it's attacks.

"Edward!"

By this time Allen and Lenalee had managed to take care of all of the Akuma except the one that was currently focusing it's attention on the blond youth. For a moment the two Exorcists stood and watched as Ed deflected the Akuma's attacks, occasionally striking out on his own. But then the spell wore off and Allen lunged forward, slashing the Akuma with his left hand and freeing it's soul.

Ed watched as the Akuma exploded and then his gaze shifted to his transformed right arm. "Didn't see that one coming…" he muttered to himself as his arm shifted back to normal.

"How… how did you do that?" Lenalee questioned, her violet eyes focused on Ed's arm.

Reaching into his pocket Ed pulled out the piece of Innocence. "I guess it had something to do with this…"

A/N - End of another chapter and I apologize for the fact that it took so long to update. As well as the fact that the chapter is once again short. Hope that you enjoyed.


	5. Accommodator?

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or FMA, merely borrowing the characters for my amusement.

Chapter Five - Accommodator?

"The Innocence," Allen and Lenalee breathed together, their gazes locked onto the glowing green gem that Ed held in his outstretched hand.

Thinking back to the events that had transpired during the battle with the Akuma, Allen asked the obvious question. "So does this mean that Edward is an accommodator?"

Lenalee gazed at the blond boy with a questioning look in her violet eyes. "I don't know Allen. I guess the only way to find out is to take him back to headquarters with us and ask my brother about it."

Allen nodded his head. "That was my thinking as well." This said, he turned his gaze back to the blond haired boy. "How about it Edward, would you accompany us back to headquarters?"

The blond haired young man thought about Allen's request for a few moments, silently contemplating what he should do. He was intrigued by this substance called Innocence, which seemed to have restored his ability to use alchemy. Ed was hopeful that he would be able to use it in order to return to the world to which he truly belonged but was forced to admit that his knowledge of it's powers was sadly lacking. Perhaps it would be in his best interests to accompany the Exorcists, if for nothing more than to find out more about the Innocence.

Taking his thoughtful silence as a sign that he was going to say no Lenalee said, "You should come with us. I'm sure that my brother will be able to explain things to you."

"I hope so," Ed finally said, making his decision. It was true that the Innocence had helped him out but the young man was aware of the fact that, at present, he was no match for those creatures called Akuma. And since they seemed to be drawn to the substance called Innocence, the alchemist decided that it would probably be in his best interests to hang close to the Exorcists.

At least until he learned more about Innocence and perhaps how to fight with it. Or to fight with it more effectively.

"Then you'll come with us?" Allen asked, not having even dared to hope that Ed would come along without so much as an argument.

The blond youth nodded, offering the white haired teen a smile. He could understand Allen's surprise, after all his earlier actions didn't exactly exude trust. "I'll come along. This Innocence intrigues me and I'd like to find out more about it."

"That's wonderful!" Lenalee exclaimed, beaming a bright smile in Ed's direction. She was happy that he had agreed and more than ready to return to her home at the Black Order.

"Let's go," Allen said, thinking that the sooner they returned to headquarters the better off they would be. Plus he still wasn't entirely sure that Ed wasn't going to run off again the first chance that he got. Which would be decidedly bad now that he was in possession of the fragment of Innocence.

Both Lenalee and Ed nodded and together the trio of teenagers made their way through the town. Luckily enough there was a train station there which made their task infinitely easier. Using funds provided by the Order Allen purchased train tickets for the three of them and together they boarded the train bound for home.

"Is this going to take long?" Ed queried, long trips on trains being one of the few things that he didn't miss from his world.

"It isn't exactly a short trip," Allen informed him as they entered their compartment. The white haired teen sat down next to the window and Lenalee chose to sit beside him, leaving the other seat for Ed. The blond youth sat down across from Allen, his golden eyes focused on the scenery outside.

Staring off into the distance Ed's thoughts flashed back to the many train rides that he'd taken during his career in the military. The former military dog had ridden on trains more times than he cared to count, most of the time traveling with his younger brother. Thinking about Al caused his feelings of homesickness to increase exponentially and without realizing it he emitted a wistful sigh.

Hearing the sigh Lenalee gazed over at their companion, immediately noticing the expression on his face. It was one that she recognized all to well, the expression that she had seen on her own face whenever she looked into a mirror those first few years at the Black Order.

The time before headquarters had became her home and the other members of the Order had became her family.

This expression made her curious about what the blond haired boy had left behind. Curious about what he was missing.

"Are you alright Edward?" Lenalee questioned, a look of concern on her face.

Snapping out of his thoughts Ed nodded his head. "Yea, I'm fine. I was just thinking about home." Which wasn't exactly a lie; he just didn't go into details.

"You miss your home…" Lenalee guessed easily. After all she knew the look. She was also certain that there was someone at home that he missed more than anything else.

Edward nodded. "I want to go back there… I want to see my brother."

"So I was right," Lenalee thought to herself before offering Ed a sympathetic smile. "It's hard to be separated from your siblings, believe me I know. But I'm sure that you'll see him again soon."

Reaching into his pocket Ed casually fingered the fragment of Innocence that he still held. "I hope you're right," he said, hoping that the Innocence would help him achieve that goal. The fact that it had allowed him to use his alchemy renewed his hope but the young man knew not to allow his hopes to rise too high.

Because the disappointment was worse the harder you had to fall. Ed had learned that the hard way, from experience, and had no desire what so ever for a repeat performance.

Allen gazed at their companion for a moment, finding that he also felt bad for the blond boy. It had to be difficult to be separated from his family and now surrounded by strangers. "I hope that you get to see your brother again soon," he said sincerely.

Glancing toward the white haired boy Ed nodded his head. "Thanks."

A/N - Another chapter finished and now Edward is on his way to the Black Order. I wonder how this will turn out… guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!


	6. The Black Order

Disclaimer - I own neither Fullmetal Alchemist nor D Gray Man.

Chapter Six - The Black Order

"I didn't think that we were ever going to get here," Ed muttered as he and the two Exorcists exited the train. The blond teen stretched his arms up over his head, in an effort to alleviate the ache in his back from riding on the train for so long. He had never been a large fan of that method of transportation; ironic given the fact that his position in the military had made such travel an every other day occurrence.

"I'm sorry," Allen apologized as he and Lenalee came to stand beside Ed on the platform. "But we're almost there." As he spoke the white haired teen gestured toward a large tower that was just visible from the city where they were currently. "The Black Order."

Ed gazed in the direction toward which Allen was pointing, his thoughts traveling a mile a minute. "The Black Order… I hope that I don't regret this move."

He wasn't exactly sure that joining with these so called Exorcists was a good idea but had deemed it necessary in the end. After all he needed to gather information about the substance called Innocence and this seemed like the best way to obtain said information.

"Come on," Lenalee said, a smile appearing on her face as she began walking away from the platform. "I called ahead to let them know that we're coming… my brother should be waiting for us."

Reaching up Allen ran a hand through his hair, causing a few unruly white strands to stand on end. "I hope that he's the ONLY one waiting for us."

This comment seemed rather odd to Ed and he turned questioning eyes to his companion. "Why do you say that? Is there someone that you don't want to be greeted by?"

"Not someone," Allen said wryly. "Something. Komui likes to invent things and these inventions are…"

Allen trailed off at this point, not sure exactly how to explain Komui's eccentricities. Lenalee took it upon herself to take over at this point. Turning toward their new companion she said, "Just keep an eye out for giant robots."

"Giant robots?" Ed repeated.

Allen nodded. "And if you see one, don't ask questions. Just run."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Ed stated, wondering exactly how much stranger this was going to become. "But it's worth it if I can discover the secret of this substance called Innocence," he thought to himself as he fell into step behind Allen and Lenalee.

It wasn't long before the trio of teens found themselves standing at a large set of gates which…

"Is that a face?" Ed questioned, one eyebrow arched quizzically.

At this point the Gatekeeper noticed their arrival. Eyes widening he gazed at the two familiar members of the Black Order before his eyes came to rest upon the new arrival. "Prepare for the x-ray exam to determine if you're human or Akuma."

Allen groaned, remembering his first encounter with the Gatekeeper. For some reason this never went well and he could only hold his breath and hope that nothing would go wrong this time. It was to much to ask for however and the white haired youth cringed as the Gatekeeper cried out in alarm.

"Those golden eyes! I know what that means… he must be a NOAH!"

"Oh no," Allen said, shaking his head as the Gatekeeper cried out in alarm. "Really should have anticipated this…"

"What's going on?" Ed questioned, his gaze shifting back and forth between Allen and the Gatekeeper. The giant stone face was still shouting for all to hear that the new comer was a Noah but unfortunately the blond boy didn't even know what that meant.

"He thinks you're one of the enemy," Allen explained, his gray eyes shifting about as he waited for someone to attack them from out of nowhere. This seemed to be an on-going theme with him and had happened the last several times that he had brought someone to headquarters.

"NOAH! NOAH!"

"He isn't a Noah," Allen said, attempting to halt this situation before it escalated into something that they weren't prepared to deal with.

"That's right," Lenalee joined in, hoping to help Allen and halt the screeches of the Gatekeeper. "He has Innocence."

"Innocence you say…" a new voice joined the conversation, effectively putting a halt to the cries of the Gatekeeper. Stepping around a corner a man dressed in white, with a beret on his head, approached the group. His eyes shifted until they were resting on the unfamiliar blond youth. "So is this the new accommodator that you were telling me about Lenalee?"

"Actually we're not one hundred percent sure about that," Allen said as Komui came to stand across from their group. "It's true that he used the Innocence, at least I think that he did, but I've never seen it behave like that before. It was weird."

"Well at any rate," the chief said, his gaze still locked on Ed. "I am Komui Lee, chief of the Science Division."

"Edward Elric," the blond youth introduced. He got the impression that this guy named Komui wasn't exactly normal but couldn't place the reasons for why he felt this way.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Elric… sorry about that rather unconventional welcome but in these times of war you can never be too careful."

"It's alright," Ed told the man, still trying to figure out what was off about him.

"At any rate, if you'll come with me we'll find out once and for all whether or not you're a compatible user of Innocence."

The gate opened at this point and, after a moment's hesitation, Ed fell into step behind the man in white. Allen glanced over at Lenalee for a moment before the two of them followed along behind.

"This should be interesting," the white haired boy commented, in a voice that was meant only for Lenalee.

The girl nodded. "It always is."

A/N - End of another chapter and now Edward is at the Black Order. Find out how he fares in the next chapter. Hope that you enjoyed.


	7. New Way to Use Innocence

Disclaimer - I own neither DGM nor FMA

Chapter Seven - New Way to Use Innocence

Following along behind Komui it wasn't long before the three teenagers arrived at a room that was familiar to two of them but completely foreign to the third. Both Allen and Lenalee held stoic expressions on their faces while a somewhat sadistic gleam had appeared in Komui's eyes. This went unnoticed by Ed however and the golden haired youth entered the room as bidden by the chief of the Science Division.

Once inside the room Ed noticed that there was a table with chairs on either side. Taking a seat in one of the chairs he turned questioning golden eyes toward the Chinese man who seemed to be in charge. "So what's going on?" he demanded.

"Just a bit of a physical," Komui stated calmly, having caught a glimpse of silver underneath the boy's sleeve when he had entered headquarters. In that moment his curiosity had been piqued and there was absolutely no way that he could not know what it was. "And then we'll go and see Hevlaska to see what she has to say about that Innocence that you're in possession of."

Ed seemed appeased by this explanation and relaxed his guard. "I guess that's okay," he said, his tone slightly more polite. So long as the man didn't pull out any needles they would all be okay. However if that happened he made no guarantees.

Despite the irrationality of it Ed had a phobia of needles that pretty much turned him into the equivalent of a sniveling small child.

"Excellent," Komui said, a smile spreading across his face as he approached the blond youth. "Please remove your jacket and your shirt."

Tilting his head to one side Ed obliged, pulling off his red coat with a flourish before unfastening the throat clasp and removing his black outer shirt. This left him dressed in a black sleeveless shirt but served Komui's purposes. His eyes widened as his gaze fell upon Ed's mechanical right arm. "Amazing," he breathed.

Both Allen and Lenalee found it rather odd that the blond boy had a mechanical right arm but before either of them could say anything on the subject Komui descended upon the boy. Grabbing an armful of tools he approached Ed with a malevolent gleam in his eyes.

An almost sinister look.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked as Komui walked toward him. He didn't like the looks of all of the tools that the chief was holding in his arms and was more than a little concerned at this point. Had he inadvertently allowed himself to be captured by an actual mad scientist?

"I simply must know how this works," he said, his tone breathless and excited. His eyes were gleaming like a kid at Christmas and Ed was suddenly reminded of the look that had appeared on Winry's face the time that she had wanted to take apart his pocket watch.

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet and putting as much distance between himself and the Chinese man as the small room would allow. His eyes narrowed as he realized what exactly it was that the man had in mind. Something that would result in his death should a certain blonde haired female learn of it. "You can't take it apart!"

Komui looked crestfallen at this exclamation from the boy. "Why not?" he whined, glancing toward Ed with a slight pout on his face.

"Because my mechanic would kill me for one!" Ed snapped, making sure to keep his distance from the lunatic with the pile of tools. "And because I need it for another."

"But… but… but…"

"Just give it a rest already Komui," Lenalee said, shaking her head and deciding that it was time to put an end to this. "It's obvious that he isn't going to let you turn him into another one of your experiments so just accept it. Anyway shouldn't we be going to see Hevlaska so that we can find out about the Innocence?"

Komui didn't want to admit it, because he'd much rather disassemble the boy's arm, but his sister had a very valid point. Forcing his face back into a stoic expression he put down the tools and made his way toward the door. "If you'll come with me then we'll go and see Hevlaska now."

Ed allowed the Chinese man to leave the room ahead of him, his golden eyes shifting to Allen the minute that Komui had passed through the door. "Is it really safe to follow him? He seems kinda nuts."

"It's okay," Allen assured him, offering the blond teen a reassuring smile. "Komui's a bit of an eccentric but it's rare that he's actually dangerous."

"Wait a minute… did you just say rare?" Ed turned to gape at Allen disbelievingly.

"Well you do have to keep an eye out for some of his inventions," Allen said, vividly recalling his encounters with the multiple incarnations of the Komurin units. That had happened more times than he cared to remember but the chief hadn't really been intending to cause complete and utter devastation when he built the robots. That's just sort of what happened. "But as for Komui himself he's pretty harmless."

"That's good to know I guess," Ed said as he and the others left the room together. Catching up to Chief Komui they followed him down a long corridor before ending up grouped together on a strange raised platform.

"Now you may find Hevlaska a bit shocking," Komui said as the platform began it's descent. "But I assure you that she's on our side."

"You'll be a bit more than shocked," Allen predicted from the spot where he and Lenalee had propped themselves against the railing. "I know I was."

Ed nodded, to show that he'd heard Allen's words, before turning his attention forward. In only a matter of minutes he found himself face to face with what had to be the strangest creature that he had ever laid eyes on. Which was saying something since he'd seen some truly weird chimeras during his days in the military.

"Greetings Hevlaska," Komui called out cheerfully once their platform had ceased it's descent. Offering her a smile he gestured toward the golden haired youth who stood beside him, looking slightly shell shocked. He could only guess that this had to do with Hevlaska's appearance and paid it no attention. "I've brought another apostle for your appraisal."

For his part Ed had removed the fragment of Innocence from his pocket and was holding it in the palm of his hand. It seemed ordinary enough, albeit a strange shade of green, but it had already proven the fact that it was far from normal.

Inclining her head Hevlaska reached out with one tentacle like arm, placing it's tip on the piece of Innocence. Then, pulling her arm back as though confused, she touched Ed's shoulder. A few more moments passed before Hevlaska turned her attention back to Komui. "This child is not destined for this piece of Innocence… nor are any of the others reacting to his presence."

Komui was slightly taken aback by this pronouncement and both Allen and Lenalee seemed shocked.

"But we saw him use it," Allen maintained, wondering if perhaps Hevlaska could be wrong. Not that he'd ever heard of it happening before but he knew what he had seen.

"Thank you Hevlaska," Komui said, turning his attention back toward the group of teens. "I think that we should go outside… that way you can show me exactly what happened."

The three of them nodded and before long they found themselves back outside the front gates. Positioning himself a few yards away Komui called out, "Now show me exactly how you used the Innocence."

Thinking back to the battle with the Akuma, Ed recalled that he hadn't really done anything special. He had merely clasped his hands together, out of instinct and habit more than anything else, and his arm had transformed. Wondering whether or not it would even work again he took a breath before returning the shard of Innocence to his pocket and clasping his hands together.

Sparks flashed and Ed's arm transformed just as it had before, the blade forming over the top of his arm.

"And your arm isn't designed to transform in such a manner?" Komui questioned, thinking that this would be a reasonable way to explain it.

Ed shook his head. "No." He left off the part about the transformation normally being fueled by alchemy since he didn't think that they would believe him. Because, until the figt with the creatures called Akuma, he had been convinced that alchemy didn't even exist in this world.

"Interesting," Komui said. "We'll have to look into this further. Until then," at this poin the turned his attention to Allen and Lenalee. "why don't the two of you take our guest inside and get him something to eat?"

"Right," the two said, each nodding their heads.

"Come on," Lenalee said, offering her hand to the new arrival.

After a brief hesitation Ed accepted the hand that she was holding out to him and the trio of teens made their way back inside headquarters. With the shouts of, "NO! MY SWEET LENALEE HOW COULD YOU?" echoing behind them.

A/N - End of another chapter and Ed isn't an Accommodator. Surprise, surprise. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


	8. Different

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor FMA

Chapter Eight - Different

Once they left the rather odd room that belonged to the equally odd Hevlaska, Allen immediately led the way to the dining hall. Komui had suggested that they take Ed to get something to eat and of course the white haired youth thought this was a great idea. Mainly because he'd been away from headquarters for some time and thus had missed Jerry's cooking.

But that was another matter entirely.

As Ed followed along behind Allen and Lenalee the blond haired young man absently gazed around at his surroundings. This was the first time that he'd really taken notice of the headquarters of these rather odd fellows known as Exorcists but he couldn't help but thinking that it was a bit like Central HQ. Of course the layout of the place was vastly different but everyone seemed to be going about their assigned jobs, much the same as the military members back home.

"I wonder how exactly this is going to turn out?" Ed couldn't help but ask himself as they reached a rather large room that was comprised of a bunch of tables and chairs. He could only assume that this was the dining hall that Komui had spoken of and, with a growl of his stomach lending credence to this fact, Ed admitted to himself that he was indeed hungry.

Seemingly hearing the growling of the other boy's stomach Allen turned and offered him a smile over his shoulder. Walking up to a window that seemed to have been placed in one of the four walls Allen said, "Feel free to order anything that you like and Jerry will make it for you no problem."

"Anything?" Ed repeated, his eyes widening somewhat as a large man appeared in the window.

"Absolutely anything you want," the man said, offering both Ed and Allen a broad smile.

* * *

Having left the new arrival under Allen's supervision Komui returned to his office. Stepping inside he completely ignored the papers that were strewn about the floor as he made his way across the room to his desk. People were all the time telling him that he needed to clean the place up but he didn't much see the need to do so.

Sitting down at his desk and folding his hands together in front of him Komui's thoughts shifted back to the blond haired youth who had accompanied Allen and Lenalee back to headquarters. After hearing about the incident with the Akuma the chief had fully expected for Ed to be an Accommodator but as it turned out that was not the case. Which begged an answer to the question of how exactly he had managed to harness the power of the Innocence… was there perhaps more than one way to use it?

And if so could this knowledge be put to use in their war with the Millennium Earl?

"We're going to have to keep this boy around for awhile," he mused to himself, his dark eyes staring off into space as though he were lost in his own little world. Which was a frequent occurrence and not something that anyone entering the room would be concerned about. "At least until I figure out exactly what's going on. This boy named Edward is definitely different but may prove vital to our cause indeed."

Of course Komui realized that he would have to speak to the higher ups since they were aware that Edward wasn't an apostle. But he was fairly confident that he could convince them to see things from his perspective. He'd grown rather good at it over the years after all.

* * *

"Am I really seeing what I think I'm seeing?" A single green eye gazed on in disbelief as two boys, one blond and one with white hair, consumed enough food to feed the entire Black Order for a day. It was unusual to hear a note of surprise in the voice of the Junior Bookman but Lavi couldn't mask it in this case. It was just so hard to believe that there was another boy who could keep up with Allen when it came to eating.

"You're really seeing it," Lenalee confirmed, smiling as her gaze shifted back to Allen and Edward. She had been somewhat shocked by this unusual development herself but hadn't made nearly as much fuss about it as Lavi seemed intent upon doing.

"This is one for the record books," Lavi commented, his tone only partially joking. His gaze seemed practically glued to the two teens, even if he wanted to look away the red head doubted very much that he would be able to do so. "Where does it all go?"

Briefly pausing in his meal Ed turned his golden eyes toward Allen, "Does he ever shut up?"

Glancing over at the red head for the briefest of moments Allen shook his head, "No not really. You get used to it after awhile though."

"You shouldn't be like that Moyashi-chan," Lavi said, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile. "And I know why you seem so happy about this new guy… you finally found someone shorter than you are."

The sound of silverware clattering to the table rang out in the room at the same time that Ed leapt to his feet, an irate expression on his face. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HALF-PINT, BEANSPROUT, MIDGET?"

Lavi actually took a step back, his one visible eye widening even further. "Wow… the appetite of Moyashi-chan and the temper of Yuu-chan. Dangerous combination that."

Leaping to his feet at the same time that Ed did Allen managed to seize the blond teen under the shoulders and prevent him from attacking Lavi. Which he seemed fully intent upon doing. "Not a good idea… at least wait until your second day here to maim the idiot rabbit."

Grumbling complaints under his breath Ed never the less pulled himself free from Allen's grip and sat back down at the table. Scowl still resolutely in place he once again resumed his meal.

"Phew," Lavi breathed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "That was a close one huh Moyashi-chan?"

Gazing at Lavi through steely gray eyes Allen deadpanned, "The next time that happens I'm not going to hold him back." And, having said this, Allen too returned to his meal. Leaving Lavi to contemplate his words.

A/N - End of another chapter and Lavi said the dreaded words… woe be unto him. He's going to be on Ed's blacklist now. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


	9. Adjusting

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM or FMA, merely borrowing the characters for my amusement.

Chapter Nine - Adjusting

"Sorry about Lavi," Allen apologized once the red head had departed, seeming mildly cautious after Edward's little outburst. The white haired teen held an apologetic look on his face as he gazed at the newest member of the Black Order, if not yet officially. "Try not to take anything he says personally... he's like that with everyone. He delights in tormenting others and one day it's going to be the death of him."

Edward nodded curtly, still somewhat annoyed. His height had ALWAYS been a touchy subject with him and the one sure fire way to get a rise out of him. And so many people had exploited this fact over the years that the sore spot had only grown as he'd gotten older. Al had always been the one to keep his temper in check but his brother wasn't around to do that and all Edward could do was sit and seethe.

Yet another reason why he needed to find a way to be reunited with his brother.

* * *

Once the pair had finished with their meal Allen led the way toward one of the empty rooms. It was fairly close to his own room, which was the main reason why the white haired teen was able to find it. As though he didn't have enough issues to deal with in life he had been born with an abysmal sense of direction, which often succeeded in getting him into even more trouble than he found himself in on a daily basis.

"Hey Allen…"

The teen Exorcist turned his attention toward the blond youth, gazing at him over his shoulder. There was a questioning look in his gray eyes. "What is it?"

Edward gazed at the other boy for a moment before he spoke. "What's it like here at the Order?" There was a hint of curiosity in the blond teen's voice as he posed this question to his companion. This world that he had been thrust into was weird on so many levels and he couldn't help but think that the place where he now found himself had to be even weirder than the world at large.

They made an occupation out of hunting monsters and some magical substance called Innocence after all.

Allen held a thoughtful look on his face for a moment, contemplating his answer to the question that Edward had asked of him. "Well it's different for everyone but for me it's like home… and the people here are like my family."

Mention of home and family caused Edward's thoughts to shift back to Al, the brother that he had left behind in Amestris. Assuming that his second attempt at human alchemy had proven successful. He had no guarantees that what he had done had brought his brother back but he had to maintain that hope.

The prospect of seeing his brother again was the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment so he couldn't give up on that hope. It would quite literally be the death of him if he did.

"Don't worry," Allen said, offering Edward a reassuring smile. "It isn't so bad around here… and I'm sure that Chief Komui and the other scientists will find out exactly what's going on with you and the Innocence."

Reaching into his pocket Edward once again pulled out the piece of Innocence that he had refused to relinquish. "I shouldn't be able to use it's powers should I?"

Allen shook his head. "You're an unusual case… the first I've ever seen where someone was able to harness the power of Innocence but was then deemed not an Accommodator."

"Hmmm," Edward mused, continuing to stare down at the piece of Innocence. He had a theory on what had happened but wasn't willing to share it with the white haired Exorcist just yet. Mainly because it would involve a lengthy explanation that he simply wasn't prepared to give at this point.

Some secrets were better left as secrets.

"Guess I'm just special," the blond teen stated.

"Maybe," Allen said, coming to a stop in front of one of the many identical doors that lined the level that they were on. Reaching out he opened the door to reveal a very sparsely furnished room. "Here you are, your home away from home."

Edward stepped into the room and the first thing he noticed was a stack of folded clothing that had been placed on the bed by someone. Walking over he grabbed the first piece and unfolded it, discovering that it was a jacket very similar to the one that Allen was wearing. Turning to the white haired teen he arched a brow in question.

"Standard uniform," Allen said, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess Komui decided to give you one despite the fact that you aren't technically an Accommodator. The Innocence served it's purpose anyway so you could still serve as an Exorcist."

"Guess this is just part of it," Edward commented as he placed the jacket back down on the bed.

"Well I'll leave you alone for awhile so you can get settled," Allen said, offering the blond teen another smile. "If you need anything I'll be around."

"Thanks," Edward said, watching as Allen withdrew, closing the door quietly behind himself. Once he was alone Edward sat down on the edge of the bed, thinking about the way that things had changed. He now had more of a plan for getting back to his own world and this served to improve his mood considerably.

But the prospect of spending time at the Order was a little daunting. Gazing down at the uniform he muttered, "This is going to take some getting used to."

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


	10. First Mission

Disclaimer - I do not own either DGM nor FMA

Chapter Ten - First Mission

Ed gazed down at the uniform that he was now wearing, thinking that it looked decidedly weird on him. It was very similar in appearance to the one that Allen wore, the main difference being that the symbol of his teacher had been embroidered on the back in red, a stipulation that he had been most adamant about. That was the only request that he'd made of the Order and was non-negotiable.

"If you're ready Chief Komui has asked that you go to his office," the man who had been fitting him for the coat said in a calm tone.

"Right," Ed said, fastening the buttons of the coat and turning to leave the room. He wore a long sleeved white dress shirt under the coat, as well as a pair of gloves, since he didn't really want to explain his automail arm to anyone here. Because he was fairly certain that they weren't going to buy the only explanation that he had to offer. "Thanks," he tossed out over his shoulder as he left the room.

The fragment of unrefined Innocence, which he had been carrying around in his pant's pocket, was now held in an inside pocket of the coat. This particular pocket came complete with a zipper, so that there was no way that he could lose the Innocence. The blond haired teen had refused to relinquish it but was at a loss as to how it was that he had been able to use it.

But determined to find the answer.

After leaving the room that housed the tailor who worked for the Black Order, Ed made his way to Komui's office. He wasn't sure what the Chinese male wanted with him but decided that it wouldn't really hurt for him to go and find out. After all the man had been kind to him since his arrival in this strange place.

Arriving at the office Ed found that the door was partially open, papers visible strewn all over the floor. This was a direct contrast to the office of his former superior Colonel Mustang and the blond haired youth couldn't help but smirk slightly as he reached a hand out and knocked on the door.

"Come in~" a voice sang out from within, sounding entirely too cheerful.

Still curious about what the man could possibly want with him, since it had already been established that he wasn't like the others who called the Black Order home, Ed pushed the door open and stepped inside. Gazing around he noted that Allen was sitting on a sofa across from Komui's desk, a dark haired teen sitting on the other side.

And neither of them appeared happy.

"You sent for me?" Ed questioned, turning his gaze to Komui and away from the two irritated teens on the sofa.

"That's right Edward," Komui said, his voice cheery despite the dark cloud that seemed to hover over the office. There was a smile on his face as the man's gaze surveyed the room. "Allen and Kanda are going out on an assignment and I'd like for you to accompany them. We want to find out more about how it is that you're able to use the Innocence despite not being an accommodator and I think that this is the best way to go about that."

Ed wasn't sure how he felt about going on this mission, his feelings somewhat mixed. On the one hand he too wanted to learn as much as possible about how it was that he had been able to harness the power of the substance known as Innocence but on the other hand it didn't appear as though this would be a pleasant experience. At least not judging by the expressions on the faces of the two guys that he would be accompanying.

Neither of them looked happy.

"We've received reports of Innocence in the western region of France," Komui said, going about the briefing as though oblivious to the looks on the faces of Allen and Kanda. He was used to it after all; they were never happy about having to go out on missions together… but of course this never seemed to stop the Chief from sending them.

"So why the hell are you sending three of us on this mission Komui?" Kanda snarled, his voice heavily laced with irritation that he made absolutely no attempt to disguise. He didn't see the point in all three of them going; the bean sprout may be inept but even he should be able to handle such a simple assignment.

"Because," Komui said calmly, his gaze shifting to Kanda. "There have also been reports of large numbers of Akuma in the area, which leads us to believe that the Earl has a particular interest. As you know this could mean trouble, so my decision stands. The three of you will leave as soon as you're ready."

"Why me?" Allen groaned as Kanda continued to scowl.

"If we're going on a mission then we should get going," Ed said, shifting his golden eyes in the direction of his two partners. With a nod Allen got to his feet and moved to stand beside Ed while Kanda took a little more time. Continuing to glare at both of them disdainfully he got to his feet, grabbing the sword that he had propped up against the arm of the sofa.

"Let's just get this over with," Kanda growled, striding forward and out of the office.

"Is he always so happy?" Ed questioned as he and Allen moved to follow along behind the irritated samurai. Allen nodded his head slightly. "You get used to it after awhile," the white haired teen mumbled.

"I'm not getting used to a damned thing," Ed proclaimed, not even bothering to keep his voice low.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


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